BEIJING, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the most common pathogens associated with gastric and extra-gastric disorders. H. pylori infection affects around half of the world’s population, yet its prevalence varies across the globe. A primary reason for treatment failure is antibiotic resistance among H. pylori, which has rendered the conventional proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based triple therapy ineffective. The dramatic rise in antibiotic resistance has warned clinicians to adopt new strategies for treating H. pylori infection.
In this context, researchers reviewed recent advances in H. pylori eradication. In a review published on February 5, 2020 in Chinese Medical Journal, they outline various therapeutic strategies and offer prospects that will assist in the eradication process. Prof. Nong-Hua Lu, from the Department of Gastroenterology at The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University in China, who is the corresponding author of the study, says, "As we enter a new era of resistance, we need new and smart ways to deal with these H. pylori strains."
The researchers underscored the significance of bismuth-containing quadruple therapy, which has been found to be effective, safe, and well-tolerated. Next, they examined sequential, hybrid, and concomitant treatments, all of which had different drug administration sequences. Sequential treatment yielded unsatisfactory results, whereas hybrid and concomitant therapies were recommended as safe choices if the dual resistance rate of H. pylori was not high.
They revealed that high-dose dual therapy and Vonoprazan-based therapy produced positive results. However, the researchers emphasize that these therapies must be tested on larger populations. They also looked at susceptibility-guided therapy, which is regarded to have a high success rate. As this therapy is time-consuming and costly, the researchers advocate it depending on the availability of susceptibility testing and the efficacy of local empiric therapy. In addition, they investigated the efficacy of probiotics and vitamins in the eradication regimen. Although both showed favorable results, the effect of probiotics could be strain-specific, and the dosage and frequency of vitamins need to be investigated further.
The review also suggests future measures to aid in the eradication of H. pylori. Prof. Lu adds, "Designing novel anti-H. pylori drugs to combat anti-microbial resistance is the need of the hour. Furthermore, building an H. pylori database will allow researchers to address the real-time information of H. pylori management."
We hope that further research will soon result in a universal therapeutic strategy for the treatment of this disease.
A video summary of the research article is available on Youtube at: https://youtu.be/dsG6bjavBPE
Reference
Titles of original papers: Recent progress in Helicobacter pylori treatment
Journal: Chinese Medical Journal
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/cm9.0000000000000618
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SOURCE Chinese Medical Journal
